Hey everyone, im working on my 2nd 59 ford truck and love the 223's but am looking for perfomance. I'm on a budget so if i can get some help i will appreciate it. The parts can be new or used.

 

I will try again, the message I tried leaving disappeared.
I also have a 223, it is in my 58', it now needs to be rebuilt, I like it to much to do a swap so I think I'll keep it.
If you would like to swap some info, let me know.

 

Not sure how much performance parts are available for the 215/223 engines. I was able to dress up my engine with some Offenhauser parts. Total cost with rebuild carburetors is around $700.

 

Well as we keep stating to members that ask this question time & again.
You Must Make These Engines BREATHE!
An Offenhausen "DP" Intake w/ either a 4v or Deuce or Tri-Pak Carbs set-up & 3-into-2 Header.

 

Hey Col. Flashman,
I was looking at your gallery, what do you have connected under your intake in this pic where the stock exhaust used to connect( the black cone shaped thing over the middle freeze plug)? ...did you fab up something to draw heat up in to the intake from somewhere? hard to tell from the pic. I have seen others who are running headers that are just capping this part of the intake off. I wanted to run a clifford header with the offy dual intake and was just looking at pros and cons of using headers or the stock exhaust with that intake and if capping the intake off affects the performance too much - or at all? Thanks in advance.

 

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I was led to believe that you can't use Clifford headers with an Offy intake. Something to do with the mounting flanges not lineing up.

I've also noticed that Offy has 2 different model numbers one for a 53" (and older) 223 and another for a 54" (and newer) 223. Can some one tell me the difference.

 

1953 didn't have a 223. It was a 215. Same as in 1952. 223s came out in 1954. The info is not written properly wherever it's posted.

 

In our trucks yes, but I wasn't sure if the 223 came out earlier in other model Fords. But here's the link to where I saw the 2 different Offy part numbers. They even list one for a 57-59 223.

Phethean Racing Products - Offenhauser

 

Nope they didn't!
Unfortunately I've only played around w/ 223's & 262's as the 215's were only in production for two years & by the time I was able to start wrenchin, not many were around my neck of the woods.
The 215/223/262 I6 engines were produced from 1952 through 1964 and shared many parts with Ford Y-blocks such as the entire valvetrain and the problems associated with the Y-blocks oiling system. These engines have the exhaust and intake on the driver's side and the distributor on the passenger side making them easy to differentiate from the 144/170 Special/200/250 & 240/300's I6's.

215c.i.
A completely new OHV six was offered for the 1952 F-series. It displaced 215 cu in and produced 101 hp. It was also used in the 1952 Ford full-size cars.

223c.i.
The 215 became the 223 cu in for the 1954 F-series. Output was now 115 hp & was known as the "Mileage Maker" & 120 hp in the 1955 Ford cars. Power was up to 137 hp in the 1956 trucks.

262c.i.
A 262 cu in version was also produced. The 262 was built from 1961-64 for use in Heavy Duty Ford Trucks. This engine was also used for industrial applications.

 

Yep, that's exactly what it is.

 

Has anyone seen someone adapt a 2-barrel carb to a stock intake? I found some adapters that would allow you to mount a Holley 2300 in the stock location.

What would be the biggest drawback to something like this? Having to change to change the distributor to something newer?

 

Why? That makes No sense!
The analog system Does Not Breath very well in the 1st place.
So attempting to Pump more fuel into a Logged Jammed system Does not solve anything.
I've read the it is possible to adapt the Distributor from a 300 I6 by just switching the Oil Gears from the 223 I6 for the 300's.

 

any closer pics or a write up of how you did it?

Oh, this may be good to know since I picked up what I think is a Clifford header for cheap.
.

The previous owner did "clearance" (aka, whack with a hammer )the top of the third and fourth tube (you can make it out in the pic) for what may have been this reason??

 

If you're looking for any kind of "performance" at all with an inline 6 you really do have to go with a 2 or 3 carb intake manifold. The single carb setup severly starves the outer cylinders.

BTW, those are some sexy lookin' motors.

 

Yes they are really sexy and very few build them anymore. I'm just trying to find a set up that someone may give me a good price on.